FRAMING THE DOMINANT AND THE DOMINÉ: SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE IN BALZAC’S EUGÉNIE GRANDET AND LE PÈRE GORIOT

by Pryweller, Alison Gayle

Abstract (Summary)

This thesis applies Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of la violence symbolique to two nineteenth century novels by Honoré de Balzac: Eugénie Grandet and Le Père Goriot. Symbolic violence is based on the idea that a dominant can exert power, and a dominé will blindly accept the dominant as an authority given the right social environment. This concept is flexible; a man or woman can play either role. Symbolic violence is shown to form a bond between dominés and serve as a means for seducing the dominé, but it is only successful as allowed by the habitus, a subjective structure that moderates the effect of social norms on the body. This thesis also explores the possibility of breaking symbolic violence, and assesses whether or not the dominés in each novel are successful in doing so.